(From the AP) Homeless service providers say they’re seeing more demand than ever in Los Angeles County and are baffled by a survey that shows the county’s homeless population has drastically decreased.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released a report last month showing homeless population is down by 38 percent from two years ago.

Representatives of several nonprofits say the report could lead to a scaling back of donations at a time when they need funding the most.

Andy Bales, president of Union Rescue Mission, says his shelter in downtown Los Angeles’s Skid Row has been inundated with families made homeless in the ongoing economic recession.

Michael Arnold, the authority’s director, says the report’s numbers bear out. He says service providers are speaking anecdotally.